Tottenham Hotspur are all set to swoop for Arsenal target Houssem Aouar and are reportedly preparing to launch a formal bid for the 23-year-old Ligue 1 star.
According to the Mirror, Tottenham are planning to make a formal offer for Lyon’s creative powerhouse Houssem Aouar before the deadline day after their London rivals Arsenal completed the signing of Martin Odegaard instead, giving Spurs a free run in their pursuit for Aouar.
Arsenal were credited with an interest in the Frenchman earlier in the window but they are now closing in on a £30 million deal to bring former loanee Martin Odegaard on a permanent basis from Real Madrid. That means they are no longer searching the market for a creative midfielder and have turned their attention to strengthening other areas of the pitch.
This has provided Tottenham with an open chance to seal the deal for their target, Aouar. It is believed that Lyon are willing to listen to relevant offers for their star man, who has been transfer-listed by the club’s chief Juninho. Lyon may even entertain a bid less than his £25 million price tag owing to their current dire financial state forcing them to get rid of their star players.
Tottenham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is interested in the central midfielder because he is looking to strengthen the attacking options available at his disposal, and Aouar, on cheap, certainly fits the bill.
After progressing through the youth levels at Lyon’s academy, he made his first-team debut back in 2017, and since then, he has been ever-present in Les Gones midfield. His impressive displays in their 2019/20 Champions League run to the semifinals certainly helped him rise to prominence.
Thereafter he progressed steadily, and his consistent performances made sure that he becomes one of the most coveted and highly-rated midfield talents in the whole of Europe. He can operate in the attacking midfield role, but he primarily plays in the wide-left attacking midfielder or a left-sided central midfield role; this suits him better due to his one-on-one dribbling and ball-carrying ability.
Aouar is a technically gifted player with the supreme of the first touches. Going into his last seasons’ metrics, he netted seven times and contributed to a further three assists in 30 appearances for Lyon. He averaged 2.5 shots, one key pass and completed 3.5 dribbles per 90. He needs to improve on his defensive output, which he can work upon; otherwise, he is a complete attacking package.
Aouar would represent a quality pick-up for Spurs and it remains to be seen if Fabio Paratici plays a masterstroke by signing the Frenchman or will move to other alternatives, with Cagliari’s Nahitan Nandez also being linked.
